Cal Poly announced on April 15 that it will retire Lisa Modglin’s No. 22 softball jersey during a ceremony before the team’s doubleheader against Long Beach State on Saturday, April 18.
The event marks only the second time in program history that a player’s number will be retired, recognizing Modglin for her outstanding achievements and lasting impact on Cal Poly softball.
Modglin completed her collegiate career in 2007 with a record-setting season, posting a .476 batting average—a mark that remains the Big West single-season record nearly two decades later. She also set Cal Poly records for hits, home runs, runs scored, total bases, extra-base hits, and slugging percentage during her senior year. Head coach Jenny Condon said of Modglin: “We’re thrilled to retire Lisa’s jersey. Her impact on this program and to me was incredible. Her numbers speak for themselves, but there’s so much more to Lisa than numbers. Her speed and instinct made her an excellent center fielder and baserunner. She’s one of the best leadoff hitters we’ve had in our program, setting the tone for every game and her teammates followed.”
Reflecting on her recruitment process as a high school athlete from Simi Valley High School in California, Modglin said: “I wanted to play softball in college. I wasn’t super highly recruited. I was really small – particularly in high school – so didn’t get a ton of attention… I told my dad my (priorities) and he said ‘you should go to Cal Poly.’” After joining Cal Poly as an immediate starter in 2004 under then-head coach Lisa Boyer—and later under Condon—Modglin became instrumental in elevating the team’s performance.
Condon credited Modglin and her teammates with embracing new leadership when she took over as head coach: “Off the field, Lisa was a big part of my success at Cal Poly,” Condon said. “She and her teammates bought into me and my vision for the program… As I challenged them, Lisa and her teammates challenged me and we got better together.”
During Modglin’s senior year in 2007, she led Cal Poly to its first Big West title and NCAA Division I Tournament appearance after an intense off-season training period with fellow players. That season also saw national recognition for Modglin when USA Softball changed its National Player of the Year finalist policy due to her standout performance.
Looking back at having her jersey retired alongside All-America pitcher Desarie Knipfer’s No. 8 jersey at Bob Janssen Field this weekend, Modglin said: “It’s hard to think about it, to put it into context… All the things that have happened since, I’m just really proud… It’s just such a special place to me and to be memorialized there is unique.”
